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Breastfeeding Your Child Effectively
Signs Good Breastmilk Supply

By Vincent Iannelli, M.D., About.com Guide

Updated November 17, 2004

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board

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Urination. With six soaking wet (not just wet) diapers in a 24 hours hour period, after about 4-5 days of life, you can be sure that the baby is getting a lot of milk. Unfortunately, the new super dry "disposable" diapers often do indeed feel dry even when full of urine, but when soaked with urine they are heavy. It should be obvious that this indication of milk intake does not apply if you are giving the baby extra water (which, in any case, is unnecessary for breastfed babies, and if given by bottle, may interfere with breastfeeding). The baby's urine should be clear as water after the first few days, though an occasional darker urine is not of concern.

During the first 2-3 days of life, some babies pass pink or red urine. This is not a reason to panic and does not mean the baby is dehydrated. No one knows what it means, or even if it is abnormal. It is undoubtedly associated with the lesser intake of the breastfed baby compared with the bottle fed baby during this time, but the bottle feeding baby is not the standard on which to judge breastfeeding. However, the appearance of this colour urine should result in attention to getting the baby well latched on and making sure the baby is drinking at the breast. During the first few days of life, only if the baby is well latched on can he get his mother's milk. Giving water by bottle or cup or finger feeding at this point does not fix the problem. It only gets the baby out of hospital with urine which is not red. Fixing the latch, using compression usually fix the problem. If relatching and breast compression do not result in better intake, there are ways of giving extra fluid without giving a bottle directly (topic #5 Using a Lactation Aid). Limiting the duration or frequency of feedings can also contribute to decreased intake of milk.